Chapter 13: Making Money

Back then, Zheng Furen really did intend to make Zhang Pu drink urine. He could tell that this kid from the countryside was inherently stubborn; without a special form of punishment, he probably wouldn’t submit to him. But now, when Zhang Pu confronted him, Zheng Furen found himself stuck—he couldn’t say yes, nor could he say no.

“Fine! You won’t admit it, huh? Still acting tough?”

Without warning, Zhang Pu punched Zheng Furen squarely in the face, just like the classic tale where the mighty Lu Zhishen struck down the butcher Zheng in Water Margin. Zheng Furen’s fat, pig-like face immediately began bleeding, as if someone had opened a soy sauce shop on it.

Zhang Pu thought to himself: For all the time Zheng Furen has been the class bully, his misdeeds can’t be less than those of that butcher Zheng in Water Margin. Both were named Zheng, one ancient, one modern—was Zheng Furen perhaps the reincarnation of that notorious villain? Damn it! When Zhang Pu had read Water Margin before, he was always filled with righteous indignation at Zheng the butcher’s evil deeds. Now, recalling those stories, he truly felt the urge to beat Zheng Furen to death, so he’d never torment another student.

Smack—

Another punch landed. This time, Zheng Furen began squealing like a slaughtered pig.

“Don’t hit me! Please, stop! I beg you… From now on, you’re in charge of Class 10… we… we’ll all be your lackeys…”

Coward, all bark and no bite! Zhang Pu cursed inwardly, watching as Zheng Furen’s fat face became a mess of tears and snot, making him look utterly ridiculous.

Zhang Pu, of course, wasn’t as impulsive as Lu Zhishen. After all, he had cultivated in the Immortal Realm for over a thousand years and was far more composed. In a flash, he thought: If I really beat him to death, with my current abilities, things could turn out even worse than they did for Lu Zhishen. Back then, Lu Zhishen had to go on the run and become an outlaw. My own strength now wouldn’t protect me from prison in this world. Killing Zheng Furen just isn’t worth it—not at this moment.

Besides, as despicable as he is, he doesn’t deserve death.

There are other, much better ways to deal with villains.

So, Zhang Pu let Zheng Furen go.

Turning around, he noticed the four “Kings” were still sprawled on the ground groaning. It wasn’t that they were especially weak—he’d simply let himself go in the heat of the moment! Realizing this, Zhang Pu’s mind raced. Damn! If he’d seriously injured them, people at school would definitely get suspicious; he might even get into trouble.

His current foundation was still too weak. If he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage in his cultivation—equivalent to a grandmaster in martial arts, impervious to bullets—he wouldn’t be worried. But now…

“Hey—you guys still can’t get up?” After letting them off, Zhang Pu waited for a while, but they still writhed on the floor. Finally, he couldn’t help but shout.

All he got in return was another chorus of groans, including from Zheng Furen himself.

Just as Zhang Pu was racking his brain for a way to smooth things over, a sudden idea struck him: In the Immortal Realm, he’d not only learned how to kill, but also how to heal!

Unfortunately, he hadn’t refined any medicines yet. No matter—he’d use his own strength to massage their injuries, just enough to get them through the day. After school, he’d head to a pharmacy and gather some herbs to concoct a special elixir from the Immortal Realm, guaranteed to have them back to full health by tomorrow.

He didn’t want to linger here any longer and risk being discovered by other students or teachers. He sprang into action.

In no time at all, Zhang Pu had massaged and treated Zheng Furen and his four cronies, instructing them strictly not to seek medical attention and assuring them he’d heal them completely by tomorrow.

These guys had been scared out of their wits by him just now—there was no way they’d refuse, especially when all he asked was for them to endure one day.

At last, the incident in the restroom came to an end.

But just as Zhang Pu was about to leave, he suddenly remembered another problem—he didn’t have any money for medicinal herbs!

Fortunately, his mind worked quickly. He immediately recalled why these people had come looking for trouble in the first place: to collect protection fees!

And protection fees meant cash, didn’t they?

He considered that Zheng Furen, with his four “Kings,” had ruled over Class 10 for ages, collecting hefty sums each month. Their territory probably included not just their own class, but other senior classes as well—maybe even lower grades and the junior high division.

That made Zheng Furen quite the wealthy figure in the modern school world—perhaps even richer than the notorious butcher Zheng in the old stories. Besides, someone who could dominate a school like this probably came from a well-off family, or he wouldn’t have the clout to be a school tyrant.

The more Zhang Pu thought about it, the more he realized Zheng Furen was a fattened cow ready for slaughter. Why not take advantage, especially since he needed money? He hadn’t expected to make a profit so soon!

And taking money from such villains—he could do so with a clear conscience! In retrospect, it was a pity Lu Zhishen hadn’t taken any spoils from Zheng the butcher before he ran off. Ha!

By now, Zheng Furen and his four “Kings” could stand up, albeit shakily, and were inching toward the door when Zhang Pu called them back.

They were still terrified by Zhang Pu’s earlier display of power. They’d never seen anyone fight like that before, and were convinced that even the most feared student in school would be no match for him.

Flustered, they feared Zhang Pu might snap and beat them again.

“Now, give me all the money you have on you. Didn’t you say you’d recognize me as your boss from now on? In that case, you need to pay me protection fees!” Zhang Pu declared without preamble.

The five of them let out a sigh of relief, exchanged glances, and made up their minds—comply!

They knew better than anyone that a wise man adapts to circumstances.

All of them came from fairly affluent families; when Zhang Pu searched their pockets, he quickly amassed several thousand yuan.

It wasn’t much by Zhang Pu’s standards—he’d seen far grander fortunes—but for a student to earn several thousand yuan in moments was already impressive.

More importantly, he knew that the special remedies he would prepare from the Immortal Realm would cost him at most a hundred yuan. The only reason he’d been so broke before was that he’d spent all his savings on herbs for his cultivation!